1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a fall prevention safety device for protecting persons climbing ladders on tall structures and particularly to an improved supporting guide rail attached to the ladder which allows the climber to safely connect as well as disconnect himself and an automatic locking sleeve to and from the support rail at predetermined desired levels of the structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are various safety climbing devices adapted for attachment to ladders by various types of support cables and rails slideably engaged by a locking clamp or sleeve including a locking pawl attached to a safety belt about the climber. Many of the locking clamps are attachable and removable at any point along the support cable or rail as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,553,438, 3,179,994, 3,979,797 and 3,908,791. However, others such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,538,904, 2,616,609, 3,348,632 and 3,523,591 are not and must be threaded on and off the supporting guide rails at the opposite ends thereof.
The instant invention is directed to provide an improved supporting guide rail for use in combination with substantially the type of safety clamp or sleeve disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,609 granted to Herod and to which reference may be had for details not disclosed hereinafter. Specifically, the applicant's invention provides a continuous supporting guide rail made up of a plurality of aligned sections some of which are placed at predetermined desired intervals and adapted to allow the clamping sleeve assembly or unit to be safely attached to and detached from the supporting guide rail only at predetermined sites or platforms by the person ascending or descending the ladder. Hence, the improved supporting guide rail allows a climber to disembark with his clamping assembly attached to his safety belt at predetermined sites or elevated platforms along the ladder or structure. Further, it allows the climbers and their attached clamping sleeve assemblies to pass one another along the ladder.